Every project at Halden begins the same way: before sketches, moodboards or name lists, we write one sentence that describes what the brand should make people feel. It sounds trivial. It’s the hardest part of the job.
A good sentence is specific enough to say no to things. “Modern and friendly” fails that test; “the calm friend who knows a lot about coffee” passes it. Once agreed, it becomes the filter for every decision that follows.
How we find it
We run a half-day workshop with the founders and two or three people closest to customers. Everyone writes ten sentences in silence, then we cluster, steal and rewrite until one survives.
The sentence is not a tagline. Customers will never read it. Your team will read it every day.
What happens next
- Concept routes are judged against the sentence, not personal taste.
- Copywriters and designers share one brief.
- Stakeholder reviews get shorter and kinder.
Try it on your own brand this week. If you can’t write the sentence, that’s the most useful thing you’ll learn all quarter.
Founder of Halden. Writes about process, type and running a small studio.
